Rick Mortensen, Attorney at Law

Elite legal services from an in-house perspective

Do you run a business with regular legal needs that you’re not quite ready to hire an in-house attorney to address?  Do you need a lawyer with the experience and perspective to distinguish a small risk from one that could threaten your company, one who will solve your problems instead of just spotting them?

Let me help. I’m an attorney with 20 years’ experience, most of it in-house, including time at two international mining companies, two direct selling/MLM companies, a large ecommerce retailer, and an accounting/fintech firm. I have been a company’s first legal hire, and I have worked in mature legal departments with established systems, forms, playbooks, and policies. I know how an effective legal department works, and I know how to build one.

I can give you immediate help with a contract or legal issue, and I can offer you more permanent solutions by creating standard agreements, playbooks, flowcharts, and employee trainings. As an in-house attorney, I learned to prioritize risks and find proportional, affordable solutions that ultimately add value to the business.

I can also help you with litigation, having represented both plaintiffs and defendants at every stage of litigation, including jury trials and appeals. My career began as a litigation associate and has included stints when litigation was my primary focus. In my in-house positions, I appeared in court and before administrative agencies. I also responded to subpoenas, led internal investigations, and worked directly with state and federal regulators to resolve matters without formal enforcement action.

My litigation work informs the counsel I provide as an in-house attorney and fractional general counsel. I know how to stay out of trouble and out of court. I also know when a particular litigation matter is likely to become too much for my small office to handle, and if that happens, I have the contacts and industry knowledge to find the perfect firm to step in. Additionally, I can oversee their work and make sure they work efficiently and economically.

My low overhead and business model allow me to provide my services at a low, predictable cost. Not only is my hourly rate lower than the rates of big firm attorneys, but in a I offer many services for a flat fee, including a model where regular clients pay me a monthly fee to devote 1-3 days per week to their business. I can work from your office or remotely from mine. Reach out to inquire about fees and availability.